Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

जटी वामनरूपेण स्तूयमानो द्विजोत्तमैः । तद्दिव्यं रूपमास्थाय क्रमित्वा मेदिनीं क्रमैः

Transliteration

jaṭī vāmanarūpeṇa stūyamāno dvijottamaiḥ | taddivyaṃ rūpamāsthāya kramitvā medinīṃ kramaiḥ

Translation

Portant des mèches emmêlées et apparaissant sous les traits de Vāmana, loué par les meilleurs des brāhmaṇas, Il assuma alors cette forme divine et arpenta la Terre à grandes enjambées.

Word by Word

• जटी: the matted-haired one
• जटी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वामनरूपेण: in the form of a dwarf
• वामनरूपेण: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—वामनस्य रूपम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• स्तूयमानः: being praised
• स्तूयमानः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रयोगे शानच्/मान (Present passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘being praised’

• द्विजोत्तमैः: by the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमैः: Kartr (Agent of praising/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object of āsthāya/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having assumed
• आस्थाय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having assumed’

• क्रमित्वा: having traversed
• क्रमित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having stepped/stridden’

• मेदिनीम्: the earth
• मेदिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्रमैः: with steps
• क्रमैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small ascetic brāhmaṇa with matted locks (Vāmana) stands praised by brāhmaṇas; then transforms into towering Trivikrama, one foot on Earth, another reaching the heavens, measuring the worlds in three strides.

Characters & Entities

• Vāmana
• Trivikrama (implied)
• Brāhmaṇas (Dvijottamas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True sovereignty belongs to the Divine; humility (Vāmana) can conceal immeasurable power (Trivikrama) used to re-establish dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is avatāra-focused and does not directly name a tīrtha, though it appears within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s broader pilgrimage-centered narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual prescription appears here.